Another book I'd recommend is the King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion. I have all the other books mentioned (except the Oppenneer book - I have her Celebration Breads) but the KAF book, I feel, provides a lot of very helpful basic information, including some of the clearest information I've ever encountered on sourdough and starters. It is a more general book, covering cookies, pies, etc. in addition to bread, but the yeast dough section is very well done with excellent explanations. Another book I'd recommend for beginners is Beth Hensperger's Bread Bible, which is designed for those who haven't much experience. For those really committed to bread I'd recommend Jeff Hamelman's Bread: A Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes, even over The Bread Baker's Apprentice and Crust and Crumb, both by Reinhart. I really second the suggestion to go to a well-stocked bookstore and actually look at the books. These titles are well-known and you should be able to physically examine at least 80% of them. Also, do not forget websites, which can be very helpful. One really good one is linked below. You get lots of advice and the visuals are a tremendous benefit. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: The Fresh Loaf

LOL, Teresa, you and me. I made my first loaf when I was 7, in the kitchen with Grandma. Let's see, that was 46 years ago.... Everything was mixed and kneaded by hand, but now I just toss everything into the bread machine then bake it in the oven. Somehow, I don't think Grandma would mind, and I still use her recipe. It's just as good as ever. Terri, I made the cheddar beer bread for today's office potluck, it's soft and good: CHEDDAR BEER BREAD 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer 2 tablespoons margarine 2 tablespoons milk 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons sugar 4 teaspoons yeast 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 8 ounces reduced-fat extra-sharp Cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons margarine, melted Grease two (9x5 inch) loaf pans. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm beer slightly. Stir in milk and 2 tablespoons margarine to melt. Pour contents into bread machine pan. Pour in flour. Make a well in the center of the flour, and sprinkle salt onto one side of the mound that forms. Into the well, pour the sugar and yeast. Sprinkle with pepper, onion, garlic, and herbs. Begin the dough cycle. Meanwhile, slice the cheese into pea-size crumbles. Avoid using shredded cheese, as it may clump. Once the dough forms into a sticky ball, gradually add the cheese crumbles. As the cycle continues and the cheese fully incorporates into the dough, the ball should still be somewhat soft and sticky. If it is too dry, add a bit of milk. When the cycle has completed, punch down the dough, and divide it in half. Place each half into a greased loaf pan, and allow the dough to rise, about 45 to 60 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). When the dough has risen, bake for 1 hour, or until the loaves are golden brown and make a hollow sound when thumped. Immediately turn out onto a cooling rack, and brush with melted margarine. Cool completely before cutting. This recipe came from the Bread Machine cookbook that Momto4kids sent me. In spite of the instructions I used a package of pre shredded cheddar and it wasn't low fat, olive oil instead of butter and some Bud Light that was left from a couple of weeks ago when David was here and they were using the pool. I put the cheese in the machine right along with the beer. It could easily be made by hand too, dump everything in the bowl, mix and then knead, just like any other bread. Oh, and my machine has a pre-heat cycle at the start so I don't warm anything up either. Annie

Deborah, how long are you letting the bread rise for the 1st and 2nd rise? There are many No-knead bread recipes and my recipe suggests letting the dough rise for at least 18 hours for the first rise and 2-3 for the 2nd. You can let the bread rise longer on the 2nd rise as long as you have it lightly covered with plastic wrap so it does not dry out. What size pot are you using to bake it? My No-knead sd bread does not rise like my white bread does. I usually get about a 4" loaf. I did make some No-knead sd English Muffins and they were excellent and I'm making more on Sunday! Michelle

I reckon what happens with thermal shock on the granite is it's the rapid expansion of the hot part. Most slab granite is only 2 cm thick, which means that up and down is an easier way for the stress to go than side to side. But it can't dissipate much up and down if the pot is still there, wood is an insulator, and the heat is pushing out into the cold stone on all sides. Little earthquake :) Granite is crystalline, and rather brittle. Stands to reason it could crack, especially if there are seams of different materials (all the pretty stuff). I know vectors a lot better than geology, but that's what I think is happening. But I've never heard of granite exploding like pyrex! Chloe's Mom, I'm glad you're okay! Melanie, Thanks for explaining why I don't like the new Pyrex. According to Wikipedia European Pyrex is still borosilicate. Hm...